Toothbrush and cover



Oct. 25, 1966 s. WEXLER 3,280,417

TOOTHBRUSH AND COVER Filed Dec. 9, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR Wex[er Filed Dec. 9, 1965 Oct. 25, 1966 s. WEXLER 3,280,417

IOOTHBHUSH AND COVER 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR Nexler United StatesPatent Q 3,280,417 TOOTHBRUSH AND COVER Seymour Wexler, 45 Fifth Ave.,New York, N .1. Filed Dec. 9, 1965, Ser. No. 512,677 1 Claim. (Cl.15-184) This invention concerns an improved toothbrush cover.

A principal object of the invention is to provide a snapon removablecover for the head of a toothbrush.

A further object is to provide a toothbrush cover which is molded fromplastic material in a one-piece integral structure,

Other objects are to provide a toothbrush cover: which is provided withmeans for thorough ventilation of the bristles of the brush while thecover is mounted on the brush; which is so constructed that its flexiblewalls do not lose their flexibility in spite of repeated flexing; whichhas a quickly engageable and disengageable construction; which keeps thehead of a brush clean and sanitary; which can be manufactured at lowcost by mass production plastic working methods and machinery; which isneat and attractive in appearance; and which can be made up in variouscolors.

For further comprehension of the invention, and of the objects andadvantages thereof, reference will be had to the following descriptionand accompanying drawings and to the appended claim in which the variousnovel features of the invention are more particularly set forth.

In the accompanying drawings forming a material part of this disclosure:

FIGURE 1 is a top plan view of a toothbrush cover embodying theinvention, with the head of a toothbrush shown engaged therein.

FIG. 2 is a longitudinal central sectional view taken on line 22 of FIG.1.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged cross sectional view taken on line 3-3 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is an end elevational view taken on line 44 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 is an enlarged perspective view of the toothbrush cover with anend portion of a toothbrush head shown being inserted in the cover.

FIG. 6 is a top plan view of another toothbrush cover.

FIG. 7 is a side elevational view of the cover of FIG. 6.

FIG. 8 is an enlarged perspective view of the toothbrush cover of FIGS.6 and 7 with a toothbrush head shown engaged therein.

Referring first to FIGS. 1-5, there is shown a toothbrush cover 10having an elongated box-like structure. The cover has a generallyrectangular imperforate bottom wall 12 and two flexible parallel sidewalls 14, 16 extending upright from lateral edges of bottom wall 12. The

cover has a cylindrically curved end wall 18. The walls 14, 16 and 18are integral with each other and with the periphery of the bottom wall12 which is rounded at its forward end to conform with the cylindricalend wall 18. The walls 14, 16 and 18 define a generally U-shapedstructure in plan view. The walls 14, 16 and 18 are formed with an innergroove 20 which extends downwardly from the upper flat U-shaped surface22 of the cover. This groove is cylindrically curved in cross sectionand it snugly receives the convex side edges 25 and end edge 26 of theflat back 28 of toothbrush head 30. It will be noted that the edges ofthe generally rectangular flat back 28 are cylindrically curved so thatthey conform with and are frictionally engaged in the groove 20 allaround the head 30.

Toothbrush 31 has a flexible tapered neck 32 integrally connecting theback 28 and handle 34 of the toothbrush. Spaced bunches of bristles 36are secured at one end in the underside of the back 28 and extenddownwardly to ice,

terminate just short of the upper flat side 37 of the cover bottom wall12 of the cover. The cover is open at its rear end 39 so that an airpassage P exists longitudinally through the cover from open end 39through holes 40 centrally located in the end wall 18. The back 28 formsone side of passage P opposite wall 12.

A particularly important feature of the invention is the differentthicknesses of the flexible wal1s14 and 16. Wall 14 is thinner and moreflexible than wall 16. A rib 42 extends all around the top of the coveroutside of the groove to reinforce the cover structure. By thearrangement shown wall 14 will flex more than wall 16 when the head ofthe toothbrush is inserted into the cover and is removed from the cover.The walls 14 and 16 frictionally engage the edges under slight springtension due to the flexibility of the walls which are supported only attheir lower edges where they join the bottom wall 12, and at their endswhere they are integral with end wall 18. The walls 14 and 16 flexslightly because the internal transverse dimension or width D of thecover at the central horizontal plane of groove 20 parallel to wall 12is slightly less than the width of the back 28 of the head; see FIG. 3.

The cover 10 will not fall off the head of its own weight nor will itcome loose even if the toothbrush is held by the handle 34 and shakenrather vigorously. To remove the cover, it must be manually grasped atthe walls 14, 16 and pulled forcefully until the periphery of the back28 snaps out of engagement with the groove 20. The cover will withstandrepeated engagement and disengagement of the head of the toothbrushwithout loss of flexibility.

The cover when in place protects the bristles from contact with otherobjects, when the covered toothbrush is carried in a pocket or purse.The cover is easily put on and taken off. It is attractive inappearance. It will outlast the useful life of the toothbrush bristles.

FIGS. 68 show another toothbrush cover 10A for head 30' of toothbrush3-1. Parts of the cover 10A corresponding to those of cover 10 areidentically numbered. Cover 10A is provided with a pair of teeth 44, 45at front ends of walls 14, 16. These teeth extend inwardly toward eachother for engaging at the tapered end of neck 32' where it joins head30'.

These teeth improve the grip of the cover on the head of the toothbrush.The teeth are rounded at their free ends to permit the toothbrush back28' to be pushed into engagement with groove 20. This cover has the samebasic flexible construction as cover 10 with a thinner more flexiblewall 14 and thicker less flexible wall 16. Both covers 10 and 10A willserve as useful toothbrush accessories.

While I have illustrated and described the preferred embodiments of myinvention, it is to be understood that I do not limit myself to theprecise construction herein disclosed and that various changes andmodifications may be made within the scope of the invention as definedin the appended claim.

What is claimed is:

A cover for a toothbrush having a head, a tapered neck and a handledefining a unitary structure, said head comprising a flat, elongatedback with bunches of bristles extending outwardly of one side of saidback, said back being generally rectangular and having cylindricallycurved lateral and end edges, said cover comprising a generallyrectangular flat bottom wall with rounded and straight ends, a pair of-fla-t, flexible side walls extending upwardly from lateral edges of thevflat bottom wall, and a cylindrically curved end -wall extendingupwardly from the rounded end of the bottom wall, said side walls, endwall and bottom wall being integrally joined and forming a box-like,U-shaped structure open at its top and one end thereof, said side andend walls having a groove extending completely around inner surfacesthereof, said groove being located at upper edges of said side and endWalls and being cylindrically curved in cross section to define agenerally U-shaped concavity for frictionally receiving and gripping thecurved lateral and end edges of the back of the toothbrush head, saidflexible side Walls of the cover having difierent thicknessesrespectively with the thinner Wall being more flexible than the thickerWall to resist loss of elasticity due to repeated fiexure when the headof the toothbrush is repeatedly inserted into the cover and removedtherefrom, rounded teeth formed at free ends of the top curved edges ofthe groove in the side walls of the cover, said teeth extending inwardlyto- Ward each other for engaging the tapered neck of the 15 toothbrushhandle when the head of the toothbrush is engaged in the cover, saidcurved end wall of the cover having a plurality of apertures therein sothat the cover 4 has a passage open at opposite ends for passing airtherethrough to dry the bristles when the head of the toothbrush isfrictionally engaged inside of the cover while the back of thetoothbrush head defines one side of said 5 passage.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,653,540 12/1927Bigoney 15 1s4 10 2,651,070 9/1953 Zimmerman 15 1s4 X 2,947,412 8/1960Tupper 15 -1-s4x FOREIGN PATENTS 21,288 1905 Great Britain.

CHARLES A. WILLMUTH, Primary Examiner.

P. FELDMAN, Assistant Examiner.

